Stairway



' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J; FULLERTON.

' STAIRWAY.

No. 525,198. Patnted Aug. 28, 1894.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR ATTORNEY-S I Tn: Norms mins 00., momuma. wnsumarcn a c (No Model.)

-J.FULLERTON.

STAIRWAY.

"Patented Aug. 28, 1894.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

\IVENTOR ATTORNEYJ.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JAMES FULLERTON, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

.STAI RWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming et of Letters Patent No. 525,198, dated August 28,1894. Application filed February 26, 1894. Serial No. 501t504. (No model.)

To all whom iffmay concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES FULLERTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at O0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and'State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Stairways, of which the following is a specification;

My invention relates to stair-ways and has particular relation to that class of stair-ways which are combined with and designed to operate in connection with a door.

The objects of my invention are to combine with a door such as is employed to cover ceiling and floor doorways a movable stairway which may be readily and easily lowered for use or elevated when not in use; to construct the same in a simple, reliable and effective manner and to produce improvements in other details of construction and opera tion which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying.

drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section through a floor and shows in side elevation my improved stair-way and door dropped from a door-way in said floor in position for use. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same showing said stair-way and door elevated or folded to the horizontal position which it assumes when not in is a transverse section of the line a: a: of Fig. 2.

Similar letters referto similar parts throughout the several views. I

Although my improved stair-way is particularly designed for use in providing a passage from an upper room to an attic or from a cellar to a room above in places where a stationary stair-way would not be desirable for lack of space 'or other reasons, it is evi dent that the same may be employed in any building construction wherein a horizontal floor opening is provided as a means of comsame taken on munication between two rooms.

a represents the flooring of a room, I) the joist and c the ceiling, while d represents a horizontal door-way formed as shown, in said ceiling and floor structure. 2 represents a door which, as indicated at e, is hinged in said doorway at one end thereof, said door being designed when supported in a horizonpieoes g of the stair-way,

use and Fig. 3

tal position to completely close said; doorway, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The door' e which is oblong in form, has arranged on its upper sideat desirable intervals transverse cleats or cross pieces f. Upon these cross pieces are designed to rest and slide as hereinafter described the parallel side frame said pieces being connected in the usual manner at desirable distances by transverse steps g. These stair:

waysides grare provided on their outer side and adjacentto'their lower' edges with longitudinal guide strips 9 which are loosely embraced at intervals on I per sides by guide blocks orbrackets g which rise from the cleats f on the outer sides of the stair frame, said blocks or brackets thus serving to form ways which will retain the stair frame in its position upon the door, and at the same time admit of said frame sliding longitudinally thereon. On the upper side or sides of the door e, I provide adjacent to the lateral edges thereof a staple or other suitable projection h with which may be connected the lower end or ends of cords h which their outer and uprise as shown, above the door opening d and I pass over one or more pulleys 'i journaled in the rafters or other building framework 1', said cord or cords carrying. ends suitable counter-balancing weights Hinged to and adapted to depend from the rear edge of the lower step of the stair is a catch piece 70.

The normal position of myimproved stairway and door is that shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, wherein the door is closed to its horizontalposition and the stair-way frame is supported horizontally thereon. When in this position the upper end portion of the stair-way extends, as shown, over and past the hinged end of the door f, the additional weight thus imparted to said hinged end of the door in conjunction with the weights 2' being sufficient to retain said'door and stairway in the horizontal positions mentioned. The parts being thus normally supported the door-way cl will present to the eye of the observer from below the appearance of an ordinary closed hatch-way. To the under side and outer end portion of the door e I secure a depending cord m, the lower end or handle of the latter being thereby retained in a position where the same may be readily reached from the floor below. When the stair-way is in the position above described, the latch piece 70 is, as shown, turned forward and made to engage with the forward cleat f. In order to open the door and lower the stairway the operator pulls upon the cord m, thus causing the door to spring downward, then by disengaging the latch is from the cleat f, the

stair frame may be allowed to slide downward upon the door until the lower end of said stair frame rests upon the floor below, as shown in Fig. l of the drawings. In this manner a temporary stair-way is provided which serves all the purposes of a stationary stair-way. It is evident that said stair frame may be provided with the usual side rail, if desired, and that a railing such as is indicated at it may be arranged about the door opening or hatch in the attic floor. In order to elevate the stair-way and the door which supports the same, said stair frame may be made to slide upward on said door until the latch piece It drops into engagement with the cleat f When as hereinbefore described the weight of the upper end of said stair-way thus added to that of the weights i will be sufficient to cause said door and stair-way to assume the closed position indicated in Fig. 2.

It is obvious that this form of construction of stair-ways will be of great utility in small houses where the room is limited or Where inasmuch as said stair-way has the sliding or adjustable movement herein described.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a stair-way of the class set forth the combination with a floor and ceiling having a door-way therein, a door hinged in said door-way, cross cleats on said door and guide blocks rising from said cross cleats, of a stairway frame having side projections adapted to tit and slide in ways formed in said guide blocks, a latch piece jointedly connected with said stair frame and adapted when said stairway is forced upward on said door to engage with one of said cross cleats and a counterbalance suspended at a point above said doorway and connected with said door, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

JAMES FULLERTON.

In presence of- C. O. SHEPHERD, F. A. SIEGEL. 

